Indie, Noise, Shoegaze… Music

Jad Fair & Danielson: Solid Gold Heart (Sounds Familyre, 2014)

“If you can overlook these flaws, Solid Gold Heart is, well, solid. Anyone who listens to this record is in for a treat: an uplifting, life-affirming experience. “Grab and hold on to the brightness” goes Fair at one point, and that’s pretty much the manifesto of the entire album. This is just pure pop, full of peppy gems that’ll put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. It’s hard to hate something that is so positive and uptempo, and, as far as it goes here, the fruits of this shared labour of love yield largely great results. It makes you wonder what those other three albums are going to sound like, but if one thing’s for sure, if they’re anywhere nearly as good as this one, Fair fans are going to be in for a real treat. Solid Gold Heart glitters and pulsates with goofy and infectious energy, and pretty much doesn’t make a frown be your umbrella. This is an album of happiness, of fighting for the powers of righteousness, and diving into some mom’s homemade apple pie. Still having a bad day? Let Jad Fair and Danielson lift your spirits. This is resolutely the most heartwarming and sweet album you’re going to hear all year, and one thing still remains, and that is Jad Fair is still the coolest man in indie rock”